Title
Ordinance amending the Pittsburgh Code, Title V: Traffic, Article VII: Parking, Chapter 549: Residential Parking Permit Program, so as to clarify the administrative process for the program; provide for virtual permitting; add the permit fees to the City’s annual fee book; adopt regulations for the use of Visitor Permits and Non-Resident Permits; and create the hybrid RPP area program.
(Post Agenda held 10/27/21)
(Public Hearing held 11/4/21)
Body
WHEREAS, City Council of the City of Pittsburgh has determined and it is hereby declared as a matter of legislative finding that, in order to promote the efficient and free circulation of traffic, to provide adequate on-street parking, to reduce congestion of parking and traffic, to promote the public welfare by administering an efficient system of on-street parking regulations and in accordance with the powers set forth in 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3353, it is in the best interest of the City of Pittsburgh to amend portions of the Pittsburgh Code, Title V: Traffic, Article VII: Parking, Chapter 549: Residential Parking Permit Program.
Section 1. The Pittsburgh Code, Title V; Traffic, Article VII: Parking, Chapter 549: Residential Parking Permit Program, is therefore hereby amended as follows:
SEE ATTACHMENT
Attachment
CHAPTER 549: - RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT PROGRAM
§ 549.01 - PARKING PERMIT REQUIRED DURING RESTRICTED HOURS; EXCEPTIONS.
No person shall park in a designated residential parking permit area without a residential parking permit during restricted periods for more than two (2) hours.
§ 549.02 - DEFINITIONS.
For the purpose of this Chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings as set forth:
(a)BLOCKFACE. All properties on one (1) side of a given street existing between two (2) consecutive intersecting streets.
(b)CERTIFIED RESIDENT. A property owner having title to real property or a renter who has a valid apartment lease.
(c)COMMUTER VEHICLE. A vehicle parking in a residential area in which it is not registered with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Motor Vehicles.
(d)DYNAMIC HOURS. Adjustable time limitations on parking, set by the Director of Finance, to efficiently balance parking supply and demand. Residential permit parking areas with dynamic hours shall not have enforcement between 2:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. No residential permit parking areas with a dynamic hours designation shall be enforced on Sundays between 2:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m.
(e)HOUSEHOLD. All persons occupying a dwelling unit.
(f)INFLUENCE AREA. The area surrounding a facility in which it could reasonably be expected that nonresident motor vehicle owners or operators using the facility would seek parking spaces.
(g)LEASE. A person pays rent or other remuneration for use of a parcel of real property as his residence or place of business. (Ord. 30-1981, eff. 9-22-81)
(h)MOTOR VEHICLE. An automobile, truck, motorcycle or other motor-driven form of transportation not in excess of six thousand (6,000) pounds of gross weight or vehicles six thousand (6,000) to ten thousand (10,000) pounds of gross weight upon verification of necessity of use in the residential parking permit area. (Ord. 2-1991, eff. 2-4-91)
(i)OWN. The a person has at least one-fourth (¼) interest in a parcel of real estate within a residential parking area.
(j)PARKING MANAGEMENT PLAN. A method specifically designed to address the identified parking needs of a clearly defined area through the use of techniques as a residential parking permit program, parking time restrictions, special meter zones and one-way street patterns.
(k)PARKING PERMIT OFFICER. The Director of the Department of Public Works.
(l)RESIDENT VEHICLE. A motor vehicle parked in a residential area in which it is registered or an application for registration has been made to the Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles.
(m)RESIDENTIAL AREA or DISTRICT. A continuous or nearly continuous area containing public streets and highways or parts thereof primarily abutted by residential parking or residential nonbusiness property including but not limited to schools, parks, churches, hospitals and nursing homes, and within an area zoned as a residential district which contains at least ten (10) adjacent blockfaces or at least one hundred (100) parking spaces.
(n)RESIDENTIAL PERMIT PARKING PROGRAM AREA. A residential area designated as herein provided wherein resident vehicles displaying a valid permit as described herein shall be exempt from parking time restrictions established pursuant to this Chapter.
§ 549.03 - DESIGNATION OF RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT AREAS.
If the criteria in § 549.04 are met, a residential parking permit area shall be designated by resolution. The resolution shall also state the applicable time limitations and period of the day for its application, and the fee to be charged upon permit issuance.
§ 549.04 - DESIGNATION CRITERIA.
(a)A residential area shall be deemed eligible for consideration as a residential parking permit area if, based upon surveys and studies prepared by the Department of City Planning or its designee, it is established that the residential parking area is impacted by commuter vehicles for extended periods of time during the day or night, on weekends or during holidays, and each newly created residential parking permit district will guarantee selling at least fifty (50) permits. The fifty-permit requirement will be waived if the petitioning street is not contiguous to any other streets with legal on-street public parking. Any streets that are currently part of a residential permit parking area and meet the requirements for the waiver, shall have the option of remaining in their current district or choose to create a new residential permit parking district.
(b)In determining whether a residential area identified as eligible for residential parking may be designated as a residential parking permit area, the City Planning Commission shall take into account factors which include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1)The extent of the desire or the need of the residents for residential parking and their willingness to bear the administrative cost in connection therewith;
(2)The extent to which the legal on-street parking spaces are occupied by motor vehicles during the period proposed by parking restrictions;
(3)The extent to which the parking in the area during the period proposed by parking restrictions are commuter vehicles rather than resident vehicles;
(4)The extent to which motor vehicles registered to persons residing in the residential area cannot be accommodated by the number of available off-street parking spaces;
(5)At least seventy-five (75) percent of legal parking spaces are utilized during peak periods as determined by the parking study; and
(6)At least fifteen (15) percent of the current spaces are utilized by nonresidents for more than two (2) hours.
§ 549.05 - DESIGNATION PROCESS.
(a)Upon receipt of a verified petition by the City Planning Commission from a neighborhood group or groups of residents containing signatures of at least seventy (70) percent of all households in the residential area, or upon the direction of the City Planning Commission, the City Planning Department shall undertake or cause to be undertaken a parking study which shall be deemed necessary to determine whether a residential area is eligible for residential permit parking. (Ord. 9-1982, eff. 3-11-82)
(b)Within thirty (30) days of the completion of the study, the City Planning Commission shall hold a public hearing or hearings on the subject of the eligibility of residential area under consideration for residential permit parking. The hearing or hearings shall be conducted for the purpose of ascertaining the boundaries of the proposed residential parking area as well as appropriate time limitation on parking in the period of the day for its application. The parking management plan to be submitted at these hearings to solve identified parking problems shall define residential parking permit program boundaries and other elements to such a program. This plan shall be approved by the Director of the Department of Public Works.
§ 549.06 - RECOMMENDATION OF CITY PLANNING COMMISSION.
(a)Within sixty (60) days of the completion of the hearing or hearings conducted with regard to a particular residential area, the City Planning Commission shall recommend by written report to Council, based upon the record of the hearing and the studies performed, whether to designate the residential area under consideration as a residential permit parking area. The report shall also include the recommendation of the Department of Public Works.
(b)The Planning Commission report shall set forth the evidence as a result of the surveys, study reports, significant subjects, concerns raised in the public hearing or hearings conducted, the findings relative to designation requirements listed in § 549.04 deemed applicable to residential parking area, and conclusions as to whether the findings justify preferential residential parking for that particular area, proposed boundaries of the residential parking area, and proposed time limitations in the period of the day for its application.
(c)On determining whether to renew a designation as a residential parking permit area for a particular residential area, the Parking Permit Officer shall certify the continued existence of the primary impactor on which the original designation was based, and certify that seventy (7) percent of households, by petition, survey or combination thereof, still desire participation in the program.
(d)The Parking Permit Office shall certify to Council every four (4) years that a Residential Parking Permit Area should continue to receive designation.
§ 549.07 - ISSUANCE OF PARKING PERMITS.
(a)Parking permits shall be issued by the group or agency designated by the Department of Public Works or Parking Permit Officer. No more than one (1) parking permit shall be issued to each motor vehicle for which application is made. Residents of one (1) parking permit district who own a business in another parking permit district shall be authorized to purchase two (2) parking permits, one (1) permit for each affected permit parking district for their motor vehicle. The Parking Permit Officer is authorized to issue rules and regulations not inconsistent with this Chapter governing the manner in which the person shall qualify for parking permits.
(b)Parking permits may be issued to motor vehicles only upon application of the following persons:
(1)A legal resident of a residential parking permit area who has a motor vehicle registered in his or her name or has a motor vehicle for his exclusive use and/or under his or her control.
(2)A person who owns or leases commercial property and actively engages in a business activity within a residential parking permit area. However, not more than one (1) parking permit may be issued for each business establishment where a motor vehicle is registered to or under control of a person.
(c)Proof of residency or ownership and motor vehicle ownership and control of use in the residential parking area shall be demonstrated in a manner determined by the Parking Permit Officer.
§ 549.08 - VISITOR PERMITS.
The agency or group designated by the Parking Permit Officers is authorized upon application to issue no more than one (1) visitor parking permit per household or business of residential parking permit areas for use of bonafide transient visitors therein. The visitor's permits shall have all rights and privileges of a regular permit, except that use by the same vehicle shall be limited to no more than three (3) consecutive weekdays in a month unless additional use is approved by the enforcement office.
§ 549.09 - POSTING SIGNS INDICATING RESTRICTIONS.
Upon adoption, the Director of the Department of Public Works shall cause appropriate signs to be erected in the area indicating prominently thereon the time limitations, the period of day for its application and conditions upon which permit parking shall be exempt therefrom.
§ 549.10 - DISPLAY OF PARKING PERMITS.
Permits on motor vehicles shall be displayed in a manner to be determined by the Director of Public Safety.
§ 549.11 - PERMIT PARKING EXEMPTION.
A resident motor vehicle on which is displayed a valid parking permit as provided for here in this Chapter shall be permitted to stand or to be parked in the residential parking permit area for which the permit has been issued without being limited by time restrictions established pursuant to this Chapter. The resident motor vehicle shall not be exempt from parking restrictions or prohibitions established pursuant to other authority. All other motor vehicles except emergency vehicles parked within a residential area shall be subject to the time restrictions adopted as provided in this Chapter. A residential parking permit shall not guarantee or reserve the holder thereof a designated parking space within the designated residential parking area.
§ 549.12 - PARKING PERMIT TERM AND RENEWAL.
Each parking permit issued by the Parking Permit Officer shall be valid for either a one (1) year or six-month period preceding the expiration date, as specified in the parking management plan, during which time the permit holder shall maintain eligibility for the issuance of a permit. Permits may be renewed annually or semi-annually upon reapplication in the manner required by the Parking Permit Officer.
§ 549.13 - PARKING PERMIT FEES AND EXCEPTION.
(a)The fee for the residential parking permit shall be twenty dollars ($20.00) a year or one-half (½) the annual fee for a six-month period for each vehicle applied for by an eligible applicant and one dollar ($1.00)for each visitor's permit. The Parking Permit Officer shall determine the license year.
(b)Exception. In the event the permittee sells the permitted vehicle and obtains another vehicle, or shall replace the window of the permittee's vehicle, during the term of the parking permit, upon permittee's application for permit for new vehicle and permittee's presenting proof of sale of permitted resident vehicle, or proof of windshield replacement, a duplicate permit shall be issued by the Parking Permit Officer at no additional cost.
§ 549.14 - PENALTY.
(a)Violation of any provision of this chapter except 549.15 and 549.14(b) shall subject the violator to a fine of not more than forty-five dollars ($45.00).
(b)In any RPPP district, any part of which falls within one thousand two hundred (1,200) feet of a public assembly facility with a seating capacity of more then sixty thousand (60,000), the violation of any provision of this chapter except 549.15 shall subject the violator to a fine of not more than one hundred twenty dollars ($120.00) on days when events occur at these public facilities.
§ 549.15 - VIOLATIONS.
(a)No person shall falsely represent himself as eligible for a parking permit or furnish false information and application to the Parking Permit Officer.
(b)No person shall hold a valid parking permit issued pursuant hereto or permit the use of display of the permit on a motor vehicle other than that for which the permit is issued.
(c)No person shall produce, copy or otherwise bring into existence a facsimile or counterfeit parking permit or permits without written authorization from the Parking Permit Officer, and no person shall use or display the facsimile or counterfeit parking permit in order to evade time limitations on parking applicable in a residential parking permit area.
§ 549.16 - PERMIT REVOCATION.
The Parking Permit Officer is authorized to revoke the residential parking permit of any person found to be in violation of this Chapter and upon written notification thereof, the person shall surrender such permit to the tax collector.
§ 549.17 - MINOR EXPANSIONS.
(a)A street which is contiguous to an existing district may be deemed eligible for residential parking designation, as a minor expansion of an existing district, without City Planning Commission approval or a Council hearing, as long as the following criteria are met:
(1)The street(s) contains no more than one hundred (100) legal parking spaces and ten (10) block faces.
(2)The affected residents shall gather petitions from seventy (70) percent of the households on the petitioning street(s). Petitions shall be submitted to the Department of City Planning within thirty (30) days from notification to proceed with the gathering.(3)A parking impaction study is undertaken and the proposed area meets all the designation criteria as stated in Section 549.04.
The Permit Officer shall submit to Council a request for approval of the addition of the petitioning street(s) to the program and the City Planning Commission shall be notified of this action.
(b)An existing district may receive only four (4) consecutive minor expansions, after which the designation process as stated in Section 549.05 shall be utilized at least once before any additional minor expansions may occur.
§ 549.01 - DEFINITIONS.
For the purpose of this Chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings as set forth:
(a) BLOCKFACE. All properties on one (1) side of a given street existing between two (2) consecutive intersecting streets.
(b) CERTIFIED RESIDENT. An owner who has title to and lives in the subject property or a tenant.
(c) COMMUTER VEHICLE. Any motor vehicle who that is not a resident vehicle.
(d) COMPATIBLE RESIDENTIAL USE. The use of a (i) unit primarily as a domicile, including, without limitation, the use of a property as a nursing home or student housing owned or operated by an educational institution; (ii) property owned by a governmental entity; or (iii) a church or hospital use.
(e) DYNAMIC HOURS. Adjustable time limitations on parking, set by the Director of Finance, to efficiently balance parking supply and demand.
(f) HOUSEHOLD. All persons occupying a dwelling unit, regardless of ownership status.
(g) HYBRID RESIDENTIAL PERMIT PARKING AREA. A Residential Parking Permit Area, a portion of which falls within one half linear mile of a hospital, an institution of higher education, a facility used by a professional sports team, a Parking Enhancement District, as defined by Chapter 546, or a station associated with fixed guideway or dedicated lane transit facilities.
(h) LICENSE YEAR. The twelve-month period during which a Residential Parking Permit is valid.
(i) MOTOR VEHICLE. An automobile, truck, motorcycle or other motor-driven form of transportation not in excess of seven thousand (7,000) pounds of gross weight or vehicles seven thousand (7,000) to ten thousand (10,000) pounds of gross weight upon verification of necessity of use in a residential area.
(j) NON-RESIDENT PERMIT. A parking permit issued in accordance with, and subject to the limitations set forth in, Section 549.07(b) herein.
(k) ON-STREET PARKING SPACE. On-Street Parking Spaces shall be parking spaces situated along public roadways where parking is not otherwise prohibited. On-street parking spaces shall measure nine (9) feet wide by eighteen (18) feet long.
(l) OWNER. A person who (i) owns a commercial unit within a residential area and actively engages in a business activity in such unit, or their permitted designee.
(m) PEAK PERIOD. A period of four hours during between 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM where the parking demand is the highest as determined by the parking study. If enforcement for a Residential Parking Permit Area is requested past 7:00 PM, the Peak Period will be defined to additionally include all hours requested for enforcement past 7:00 PM.
(n) PARKING MANAGEMENT PLAN. A method specifically designed to address the identified parking needs of a clearly defined area through the use of techniques such as Residential Parking Permits, visitor passes, parking time restrictions, permit expiration dates, dynamic hours, and special meter zones.
(o) PARKING PERMIT OFFICER. The Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Parking Authority Director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure or their designee.
(p) PARKING STUDY. The study prepared by the Parking Permit Officer, or their designee, to determine whether a residential area is adversely impacted by commuter vehicle on-street parking for extended periods of time to such an extent that it contributes to owners or tenants within the residential area experiencing difficulty finding on-street parking.
(q) POSTED SIGNAGE. The signage erected pursuant to Section 549.09 herein.
(r) RESIDENT VEHICLE. A motor vehicle owned by a Certified Resident.
(s) RESIDENTIAL AREA. A geographical area (i) containing public streets and highways that are primarily (50% +1’ of curb length) abutted by street-level compatible residential uses, (ii) are also zoned for a use that allows residential occupancy of any kind, and is comprised of at least ten (10) blockfaces or at least one hundred (100) on-street parking spaces.
(t) RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT. A permit issued in accordance with Section 549.06 549.07 herein.
(u) RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT AREA. An area designated as such pursuant to Section 549.04 herein whereby owners and tenants may be eligible for Residential Parking Permits, Visitor Permits, and others may be eligible for Non-Resident Permits, while all others must abide by parking restrictions detailed on posted signage.
(v) SHORT-TERM RENTAL. A dwelling unit that is rented to successive tenants for periods of less than 30 days’ duration over a 12 month period.
(w) TENANT. A person who pays rent or other remuneration for use of a unit within a residential area as (i) their domicile or (ii) their place of business.
(x) UNIT. A separately addressed commercial or residential property, as the case may be.
(y) VISITOR PERMIT. A permit issued in accordance with, and subject to the limitations set forth in, Section 549.07(a) 549.08(a) herein.
§ 549.02 - ELIGIBLITY CRITERIA.
(a) A Residential Area shall be deemed eligible for consideration as a Residential Parking Permit Area if the following conditions are met:
(1) Affirmation of desire to implement a Residential Permit Parking Area in a Residential Area is confirmed by one of the following:
a. Identification of a Residential Area to be considered for Residential Permit Parking in a Neighborhood or Comprehensive Plan that has been adopted by the City Planning Commission.
b. Seventy percent (70%) of all Households within the subject Residential Area are represented on a petition of Certified Residents signing in affirmation of their desire to implement a Residential Parking Permit Area in their Residential Area. One (1) or more signatures from Certified Residents from the same household will be counted as one (1) household.
c. A letter to the Parking Permit Officer from the City Council Member for the Residential Area requesting the consideration of that area for Residential Permit Parking.
d. The Parking Permit Officer’s own discretion.
(2) A Parking Study conducted by the Parking Permit Officer indicates that the subject Residential Area is adversely impacted by Commuter Vehicles for extended periods of time.
(3) The Certified Residents of the subject Residential Area are likely to demand at least fifty (50) Residential Parking Permits annually as determined by the Parking Permit Officer.
(b) Following completion of the requirements detailed in § 549.02 (a), the Parking Permit Officer and Director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure shall jointly prepare a Parking Management Plan for the subject Residential Area and submit the same, and the Parking Study, to the Director of City Planning. The Parking Management Plan shall set forth recommendations for, among other things, Residential Parking Permit Area boundaries, enforcement hours, Dynamic Hours, types of Visitor Permit, unpermitted parking time limit and such other elements as may be deemed necessary to address parking concerns with the subject area.
(c) Regular Residential Parking Permit Areas shall allow unpermitted parkers to park for not more than two (2) hours, but may set the limit at no less than one (1) hour. Hybrid Residential Parking Permit Areas shall allow unpermitted parkers to park for not more than four (4) hours, but may not set the limit at less than one (1) hour.
§ 549.03 - CITY PLANNING COMMISSION PROCESS.
(a) The Parking Permit Officer shall submit the Parking Management Plan and the Parking Study to the Department of City Planning. Following receipt of the Parking Management Plan and the Parking Study, the City Planning Commission shall hold a public hearing or hearings on the eligibility of the subject Residential Area to be a Residential Parking Permit Area. Should the proposed Residential Permit Parking Area fall within the boundaries of a Registered Community Organization (RCO), the Parking Permit Officer shall participate in a Development Activities Meeting per §178E.08. The hearing or hearings shall be conducted to determine the appropriateness of the Parking Study and Parking Management Plan.
(b) In determining the appropriateness of the Parking Study and Parking Management Plan, the City Planning Commission shall take into account factors which include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) The extent of the desire or the need of the Certified Residents of the subject Residential Area for residential parking and their willingness to bear the administrative cost in connection therewith;
(2) The extent to which On-Street Parking spaces in the subject Residential Area are occupied by motor vehicles during the proposed enforcement hours of parking restrictions in the Parking Management Plan;
(3) That at least fifteen percent (15%) of the vehicles parked in the subject Residential Area during the proposed enforcement hours of parking restrictions are Commuter Vehicles versus Resident Vehicles;
(4) The extent to which Resident Vehicles within the subject Residential Area cannot be accommodated by the number of available off-street parking spaces; and
(5) That at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the current legal on-street parking spaces in the subject Residential Area are utilized during peak periods.
(c) Within ninety (90) days of the completion of the public hearing or hearings conducted with regard to a subject Residential Area, the City Planning Commission shall submit a written report to City Council. The report shall set forth the City Planning Commission’s recommendations regarding the Parking Study and Parking Management Plan and designation of the Area as Residential Permit Parking, concerns raised in the public hearing or hearings conducted, and the findings relative to the factors listed in Section 549.03(b). If the City Planning Commission fails to submit a written report to City Council, the decision shall be deemed denied.
§ 549.04 - CITY COUNCIL PROCESS.
(a) A Residential Parking Permit Area may only be designated by resolution following City Council’s receipt of the written report described in Section 549.03(c) herein. The resolution shall identify the boundaries of the Residential Parking Permit Area, applicable time limitations that govern the subject area and whether the subject area is a Hybrid Residential Parking Permit Area.
(b) Once designated, a Residential Parking Permit Area shall remain in place unless modified as permitted in this chapter.
§ 549.05 - PROCESS FOR REDUCING, ELIMINATING, OR AMENDING AN EXISTING RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT AREA
(a) The Parking Permit Officer shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, an updated Parking Study of an existing Residential Parking Permit Area under the following conditions:
(1.) at the Parking Permit Officer’s own discretion, or
(2.) identification of a Residential Area to be considered for changes to the existing Residential Permit Parking Area in a Neighborhood or Comprehensive Plan that has been adopted by the City Planning Commission, or
(3.) upon receipt of a petition of the signatures of Certified Residents representing A majority of all Households within the existing subject Residential Area. One (1) or more signatures from Certified Residents from the same household will be counted as one (1) household.
(b) An existing Residential Parking Permit Area, and regulations established by City Council applicable thereto, shall be deemed eligible for reduction, or elimination if (i) the Parking Study indicates that the Residential Parking Permit Area is not likely to be impacted by Commuter Vehicles for extended periods of time more than under existing conditions if the changes are approved, and (ii) the Certified Residents of the remaining Residential Parking Permit Area are likely to demand more than fifty (50) Residential Parking Permits annually.
(c) An existing Residential Parking Permit Area, and regulations established by City Council applicable thereto, shall be deemed eligible for amendment upon receipt of a petition of the signatures of Certified Residents representing a majority of all Households within the existing subject Residential Area. Regulations eligible for amendment under this section include, but are not limited to enforcement hours, Dynamic Hours, types of Visitor Permit, unpermitted parking time limit.
(d) Following receipt of the updated Parking Study, the City Planning Commission shall hold a public hearing or hearings regarding the reduction or elimination or amendment to an existing Residential Parking Permit Area, or the regulations established by City Council pertaining thereto. The hearing or hearings shall be conducted in a manner that is consistent with Section 549.03 herein.
(e) Within ninety (90) days of the completion of the public hearing or hearings conducted with regard to the reduction or elimination or amendment to an existing Residential Parking Permit Area, the City Planning Commission shall submit to City Council its findings and recommendations from the hearings regarding the reduction, elimination or amendment to an existing Residential Parking Permit Area, or the regulations established by City Council pertaining thereto, in a manner that is consistent with Section 549.03(c).
(f) An existing Residential Parking Permit Area, or the regulations established by City Council pertaining thereto, may only be reduced, eliminated or amended by resolution, once every twenty-four (24) months.
§ 549.06 - MINOR EXPANSIONS.
(a) A street that is contiguous to an existing Residential Parking Permit Area may be deemed eligible for inclusion in such area, as a minor expansion of an existing Residential Parking Permit Area, as long as the following criteria are met:
(1) The street(s) contains no more than one hundred (100) On-Street Parking Spaces and ten (10) block faces.
(2) Affirmation of desire to expand a Residential Permit Parking Area in a Residential Area is confirmed by one of the following:
a. Identification of a Residential Area to be considered for a minor expansion to an existing Residential Permit Parking Area in a Neighborhood or Comprehensive Plan that has been adopted by the City Planning Commission.
b. The Certified Residents within the proposed expansion area shall prepare petition containing signatures of Certified Residents representing at least seventy percent (70%) of the Households on the petitioning street(s). One (1) or more signatures from Certified Residents from the same household will be counted as one (1) household. Petitions shall be submitted to the Parking Permit Officer within thirty (30) days of the Parking Permit Officer giving written notification to proceed with the gathering of signatures.
c. A letter to the Parking Permit Officer from the City Council Member for the Residential Area requesting the consideration of that area for a minor expansion to an existing Residential Permit Parking Area.
d. The Parking Permit Officer’s own discretion.
(3) A Parking Study is undertaken and the proposed area meets all the designation criteria as stated in Section 549.03(b).
(b) The Parking Permit Officer shall submit to City Council via resolution a request for approval of the addition of the petitioning street(s) to the program and the City Planning Commission shall be notified of the City Council approval of this action by written communication from the City Clerk.
(c) An RPP area may only receive one minor expansion every twenty-four (24) months.
§ 549.07 - ISSUANCE OF RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMITS.
(a) Residential Parking Permits shall be issued by the Public Parking Authority of Pittsburgh. The Parking Permit Officer is authorized to issue rules and regulations not inconsistent with this Chapter governing the manner in which a Certified Resident may qualify for a Residential Parking Permit.
(b) Residential Parking Permits may be issued for Motor Vehicles only upon application of a Certified Resident of the Residential Parking Permit Area who has the Motor Vehicle registered in their name or has the Motor Vehicle for their exclusive use and/or under their control.
(c) No more than one (1) Residential Parking Permit shall be issued to each Certified Resident’s vehicle for which application is made except that Certified Residents of one (1) Residential Parking Permit Area who own a business in another Residential Parking Permit Area shall be authorized to purchase two (2) Residential Parking Permits, one (1) permit for each affected Residential Parking Permit Area.
§ 549.08 - VISITOR PERMITS; NON-RESIDENT PERMITS.
(a) The Parking Permit Officer is authorized to issue not more than one (1) Visitor Permit per unit in a Residential Parking Permit Area. The Visitor Permit shall grant all the rights and privileges of a Residential Parking Permit, with the following exceptions:
(1) Visitor Permits shall only be eligible for use for up to three (3) consecutive days with enforcement hours then must not be used for one (1) day with enforcement hours before use may resume again, and the same license plate may be assigned to a Visitor Permit on a maximum of twelve (12) days in a calendar month.
(b) The Parking Permit Officer is authorized to issue Non-Resident Permits for the benefit of non-residents who are required to have access to units in a Residential Parking Permit Area and who otherwise are not suitable for the Visitor Permit program under the following conditions and in the following forms:
(1) Medical Non-Resident Permits. Medical Non-Resident Permits may be issued for motor vehicles that are required to be parked at a residential unit for the administration of medical care, medical-related quality-of-life care, or end-of-life care. A Medical Non-Resident Permit may only be issued to a Certified Resident and only after a letter from the patient’s doctor is provided to the Parking Permit Officer confirming that applicable in-home care is required and listing the license plates that will require a Non-Resident Permit. Medical Non-Resident Permits shall need to be renewed on a month-to-month basis or as otherwise determined by the Parking Permit Officer. Medical Non-Resident Permits shall have no fee.
(2) Contractor Non-Resident Permits. Contractor Non-Resident Permits may only be issued to motor vehicles registered to the contractor or the contractor’s business for periods of time that they are performing work permitted by the City of Pittsburgh. To receive a contractor Non-Resident Permit for a particular Residential Parking Permit Area, a contractor must provide the following:
a. their contractor’s license;
b. the registration card for each vehicle they wish to receive the Non-Resident Permit; and
c. the City of Pittsburgh permit authorizing the work to be done in the given Residential Parking Permit Area.
Contractor Non-Resident Permits shall need to be renewed by the applicant on a weekly basis or as otherwise determined by the Parking Permit Officer. Contractor Non-Resident Permits shall have a fee of ten dollars ($10) per week, per motor vehicle, per Residential Parking Permit Area.
(3) Childcare Non-Resident Permits. Childcare Non-Resident Permits may only be issued to Certified Residents who require daytime childcare. These Non-Resident Permits may be issued to Certified Residents who do not otherwise have off-street parking available to them at their residential unit and who provide the following:
a. documentation proving their guardianship of a child twelve (12) years of age or under and
b. a valid registration card for the motor vehicle to which the Non-Resident Permit will be assigned.
One childcare Non-Resident Permit may be issued per residential unit at a time. Childcare Non-Resident Permits may be issued annually at a maximum, but shall be chargeable by month, and shall have a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) twenty dollars ($20.00) per month per motor vehicle.
(4) Landlord Non-Resident Permits Rental Property Owner or Manager Non-Resident Permits. A person who offers real estate for rent in a Residential Parking Permit Area, who otherwise does not qualify for a Residential Parking Permit in the subject area, and who does not otherwise have off-street parking available within the given Residential Parking Permit Area may receive a landlord Non-Resident Permit Rental Property Owner or Manager Non-Resident Permit. Such a person may receive a landlord Non-Resident Permit Rental Property Owner or Manager Non-Resident Permit after providing the following:
a. the registration card for each motor vehicle they wish to receive the Non-Resident Permit;
b. documentation of ownership of rental property within the Residential Parking Permit Area either personally or through a company they own or manage OR an agreement with the owners of the property to act as property management for said rental property(ies); and
c. documentation that the real estate is offered as rental property.
d. Proof that the unit or property is registered with the City's Rental Registration program.
A landlord Rental Property Owner or Manager may only receive one (1) Non-Resident Permit to be assigned to a Motor Vehicle registered in their own name for each Residential Parking Permit Area wherein they own rental property, and one (1) Non-Resident Permit for each Motor Vehicle registered to a company they own whose primary business interest is rental property for each Residential Parking Permit Area wherein they own rental property, up to a maximum of four (4) vehicles.one (1) vehicle if the Rental Property Owner or Manager owns or manages one to five (1-5) rental units, two (2) vehicles if they own or manage six to ten (6-10) units, and four (4) vehicles if they own or manage over ten (10) units. A separate Non-Resident Permit is required for each Residential Parking Permit Area that the Rental Property Owner or Manager has property within.
Landlord Non-Resident Permits Rental Property Owner or Manager Non-Resident Permit may be issued annually at a maximum, but shall be chargeable annually or by month, and shall have a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per month per Motor Vehicle or two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per year per Motor Vehicle. Annual purchases shall not be refunded or pro-rated.
(5) Short-term Rental Permit. An annual Short-term Rental Permit may be granted to an owner or property manager of a short-term rental who does not otherwise have off-street parking available in the given Residential Permit Parking area. Such a permit may be granted after providing the following documentation:
i. Documentation of ownership of short-term rental property within the Residential Parking Permit Area either personally or through a company they own or manage OR an agreement with the owners of the property to act as property management for said short-term rental property(ies); and
ii. Documentation that the real estate is offered as rental property.
iii. Proof that the short-term rental does not have available off-street parking available.
Short-term Rental Permit guest passes. The Parking Permit Officer shall be authorized to issue guest passes to individual motor vehicles as requested by the short-term rental permit holder. On a daily basis, no more than two (2) guest passes will be granted per Short-term Rental permit. Individual passes shall be granted per vehicle at a fee of (5) five dollars per vehicle. A pass shall provide parking for up to (1) week. An individual motor vehicle may not park in a RPP area for more than (8) weeks annually with a Short-term rental guest pass.
The permit holder will be required to provide the following to be granted a guest pass:
1. The license plate number of the tenant’s motor vehicle
2. Proof of length of stay
(5) The Parking Permit Officer is authorized to issue customer service Non-Resident Permits on a limited and short-term basis at no charge to a person while they are working in good faith to meet the requirements of any of the permits or Non-Resident Permits authorized under this chapter. These Non-Resident Permits shall be limited to seven (7) days in length.
(6) Fees for Non-Resident Permits shall reflect fee amounts that are assigned in this section until Fiscal Year 2022, when the Parking Permit Officer shall forward a suggested fee schedule to the Director of Finance for inclusion in the City of Pittsburgh budget pursuant to the aforementioned provisions of this code.
§ 549.09 - POSTING SIGNS INDICATING RESTRICTIONS; ENFORCEMENT.
(a) Upon adoption of a resolution establishing a Residential Parking Permit program, the Director of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure shall cause appropriate signs to be erected in the Residential Parking Permit Area indicating prominently thereon the parking restrictions associated therewith and, if any area is a Hybrid Residential Parking Permit area, the parking rates and time limits associated therewith.
(b) Signs may only be posted and regulations enforced on blockfaces in the Residential Parking Permit Area that are located in a Residential Zoning District per Chapter 903 of the Code or in any of the following zoning districts: H, UPR-B, RIV-RM, GPR, OPR-A, or RP.
(c) Residential Parking Permit Areas with Dynamic Hours shall not have enforcement between 2:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on any day. No Residential Parking Permit Areas with a Dynamic Hours designation shall be enforced on Sundays between 2:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. Evening enforcement shall only occur in a Parking Enhancement District per Section 546 of City Code.
§ 549.10 - VIRTUAL PERMITS; DATA RETENTION POLICY.
(a) Residential Parking Permits, Visitor Permits, and Non-Resident Permits shall be assigned virtually and tracked digitally by license plate by the Parking Permit Officer and/or their designee.
(b) The Parking Permit Officer or their designee shall cause regulations to be written and communicated to the City Council no later than two (2) months after this Section is adopted that detail privacy protections associated with its administration of the Residential Parking Permit program:
(1) That aggregated license plate data shall not be shared with law enforcement agencies for the purposes of creating a dragnet or any system of preemptive surveillance of citizens, except as may be required by federal or state law; and
(2) That data relating to the time, date, location, and number of occurrences of a license plate being registered for a Visitor Permit will be saved for a maximum of thirty (30) days and thereafter deleted from any records.
§ 549.11 - PERMIT PARKING EXEMPTION.
A Residential Parking Permit, Non-Resident Permit or Visitor Permit does not exempt a motor vehicle from parking restrictions or prohibitions established pursuant to other authority. All other motor vehicles except municipal emergency vehicles or ambulances parked within a Residential Parking Permit Area shall be subject to this Chapter. A Residential Parking Permit shall not guarantee or reserve the holder thereof a designated parking space within a Residential Parking Permit Area. On streets that have been designated as RPP but that also fall within a Parking Meter Zone, the parking meters shall take precedence.
§ 549.12 - RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT TERM AND RENEWAL.
Each Residential Parking Permit issued by the Parking Permit Officer shall be valid for each license year, unless the permit holder does not maintain eligibility for the issuance of a Residential Parking Permit, at which point in time the Residential Parking Permit may be revoked by the Parking Permit Officer. A Residential Parking Permit may be renewed annually upon reapplication in the manner required by the Parking Permit Officer.
§ 549.13 - RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT FEES AND EXCEPTION.
(a) The fee for each Residential Parking Permit shall be twenty dollars ($20.00) per year and one dollar ($1.00) for each Visitor Permit. The Parking Permit Officer shall determine the license year. Beginning in fiscal year 2022, the fee for Residential Parking Permits, Visitor Permits, and Non-Resident Permits shall be set by the process described in Title I, Chapter 170, § 170.01 relating to the creation of an annual fee schedule. The Parking Permit Officer shall forward a suggested fee schedule to the Director of Finance for inclusion in the City of Pittsburgh budget pursuant to the aforementioned provisions of this code.
(b) If a Certified Resident sells a resident vehicle that has a valid Residential Parking Permit and obtains another vehicle during the same license year, the Parking Permit Officer shall issue a duplicate Residential Parking Permit at no additional cost upon said Certified Resident’s (i) application for a Residential Parking Permit for the new vehicle and (ii) presentation to the Parking Permit Officer of proof of sale of the subject vehicle.
§ 549.14 - RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT REQUIRED DURING RESTRICTED HOURS.
No person shall park a motor vehicle in a Residential Parking Permit Area in violation of the restrictions set forth on posted signage without a valid Residential Parking Permit, Visitor Permit or Non-Resident Permit.
§ 549.15 - PENALTY.
(a) Vehicles found to be parked in violation of any provision of this chapter except Sections 549.14(b) shall subject the registered owner of the subject motor vehicle to a fine of not more than forty-five dollars ($45.00).
(b) In any Residential Parking Permit Area, any part of which falls within one thousand two hundred (1,200) feet of a public assembly facility with a seating capacity of more than sixty thousand (60,000), vehicles found to be parked in violation of any provision of this chapter shall subject the registered owner of the subject motor vehicle to a fine of not more than one hundred twenty dollars ($120.00) on days when events occur at these public assembly facilities.
(c) Beginning in fiscal year 2022, the fines for violations of this chapter shall be set by the process described in Title I, Chapter 170, § 170.01 relating to the creation of an annual fee schedule. The Parking Permit Officer shall forward a suggested fee schedule to the Director of Finance for inclusion in the City of Pittsburgh budget pursuant to the aforementioned provisions of this code.
§ 549.16 - VIOLATIONS.
(a) No person shall falsely represent themselves as eligible for a Residential Parking Permit, visitor pass or Non-Resident Permit or furnish false information and application to the Parking Permit Officer.
§ 549.17 - PERMIT REVOCATION.
The Parking Permit Officer is authorized to revoke the Residential Parking Permit, visitor pass or Non-Resident Permit of any person upon written notification thereof to the registered owner of the subject Motor Vehicle in connection to violations of Section 549.16.
§ 549.18 - HYBRID RPP AREAS
(a) A Hybrid RPP Area shall only be authorized (i) for new Residential Parking Permit Areas, in accordance with Sections 549.02, 549.03, and 549.04 and (ii) for an existing Residential Parking Permit Areas, in accordance with Section 549.05.
(b) Any motor vehicle that does not have a valid Residential Parking Permit, Visitor Permit, or Non-Resident Permit and is otherwise allowed to park in a Hybrid RPP Area pursuant to the posted signage shall be required to register their vehicle through a parking meter transaction and pay a rate established pursuant to Section 549.18(c) herein.
(c) The parking meter rate in a Hybrid RPP Area shall not exceed the parking meter rate in the geographically closest parking meter zone as detailed in Title V, Traffic; Article VII, Parking; Chapter 543.01 of this code and shall be set as a “Dynamic” rate as defined in that section. In cases when the parking meter rate is designated as “Dynamic” the parking meter rate in the Residential Parking Permit Area shall also be “Dynamic” as defined in that Section and shall not exceed the parking meter rate as set by the Director of Finance for the applicable meter zone.
(d) The Public Parking Authority of Pittsburgh is hereby authorized to place parking meters in Hybrid RPP areas.
(e) Parking meter revenue collected from a Hybrid RPP Area during the effective hours of a Parking Enhancement District as detailed in Title V, Traffic; Article VII, Parking; Chapter 546 of this code may be eligible for inclusion in a Parking Enhancement District fund.
§ 549.19 - RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT AREAS DESIGNATED BY COUNCIL PRIOR TO THE PASSAGE OF THIS ARTICLE.
(a) All Residential Parking Permit Areas that received a designation under the previous Chapter 549 and prior to the passage of this Chapter shall continue as designated Residential Parking Permit Areas under this Chapter.
(b) All Residential Parking Permit Areas that received a designation under the previous Chapter 549 and prior to the passage of this Chapter but had not been certified as renewed pursuant to § 549.06 (c) of the previous Chapter 549 shall continue as designated Residential Parking Permit Areas under this Chapter provided the Parking Permit Officer certifies to City Council of the continued existence of the impacting factors that were identified in the Residential Parking Permit Area’s original Parking Study.